Kite parachute



Nov. 5, 1963 W. B. CURTIS KITE PARACHUTE Filed June 9, 1961 INVENTOR William Babcoc/r Curfis BY M ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3',l@9,257 Patented Nov. 5, 1963 3,109,257 KITE PARACHUTE William Babcock Curtis, Dallas, Tex., assignor to Curtis- Scott Company, Dallas, Tex., a partnership Filed June 9, 1961, Ser. No. 116,030 7 Claims. (Cl. 46-86) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in toy parachutes and more particularly to parachutes for use on kite strings.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved toy parachute which is adapted to readily ascend the string of a kite and be released therefrom whenever desired for descending and giving the illusion of a conventional parachute.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved kite parachute having an inverted semi-rigid or substantially rigid canopy whereby the parachute will ascend the string of any flying kite and, when released from said kite string, will float downward slowly without collapsing, rocking, tumbling or falling too rapidly.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved kite parachute, of the character described, having a single member depending from its apex or axis and carrying hook means at its outer end for detachably suspending the parachute from a kite string, the depending member being of a length or weight suflicient to assist the inverted canopy in stabilizing the parachute during its descent from the kite string.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved kite parachute, of the character described, wherein the hook means extends at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the member which depends from the canopy so as to be directed laterally of the kit string and disengaged therefrom when a wave motion is imparted to said kite string.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved kite parachute, of the character described, which is of economical, light-weight construction, capable of being formed in one or several pieces of paper, wood, plastics, light-weight metal or other suitable material, and wherein the canopy may be conical or semi-spherical or have a marginal lip for increasing the surficial area thereof.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein examples of the invention are shown, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy parachute, constructed in accordance with the invention, ascending a kite string,

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the kite parachute,

:FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the parachute,

FIG. 4 is an underside plan view of a parachute having a modified canopy,

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal, sectional view, taken on the line 55 of FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a view, similar to FIG. 5, showing another modified canopy, and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, transverse, vertical, sectional view showing a modified hook.

In the drawing, the numeral 10 designates a toy parachute adapted to ascend and be released from the string 11 of a flying kite (not shown). The parachute includes a canopy 12, an elongate member 13 extending axially from the apex or axis of the canopy and a hook 14 carried by the outer end of the rnmeber, which may be made integrally or separately of paper, wood, plastics,

light-weight metal or other suitable material. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the canopy 12 is of hollow, conical or concavo-convex shape and inverted with respect to the canopies of conventional parachutes whereby the member 13 is disposed at its convex or exterior side rather than its concave or interior side. It is essential to the invention that the canopy be substantially rigid or at least semi-rigid so that it will not collapse readily and will stabilize the descent of the parachute as well as cause said parachute to ascend the kite string 11.

Th member 13 isv in the form of a cylindrical rod or shaft and may be made integral with the canopy 12 or separately thereof. Although adapted to be of solid construction, it is readily apparent that the member may be tubular or rolled from material, such as paper or cloth treated so as to be relatively stiff. Cloth, so treated,

a could be employed in making the canopy. The length of the member is subject to variation, but should be suflicient to provide weight for assisting the inverted canopy in stabilizing the parachute. Preferably, the member is substantially rigid or stiff, but may be of any desirable shape.

The hook '14, which is adapted to suspend the parachute from the kite string 11, has a shank 15 extending axially of the member 13 and threaded or otherwise embedded in the outer end of said member. A U-shaped bill -16 extends at an angle from the shank 15 and has a pair of substantially parallel legs 17 and 1-8 of substantial lyv equal length. The curved bight portion of the bill 16, which is of a Width much greater than the diameter of the kite string, is in substantial alinement with the longitudinal axis of said shank so that the outer or free leg 18 of said,bill is directed outwardly away from the shank. It is noted that the legs 17 and 18 are relatively long in order to prevent accidental disengagement of the hook from the kite string 11. Due to the angular disposition of the bill and the outward direction of its outer or free leg, the hook 14 is disengaged from the kite string when a Wave motion is imparted to said string as shown in broken lines at 19 in FIG. 1. This wave lifts the hook and causes the string to ride down the inclined surface of the inner leg '17 of the bill 16 toward the shank :15, thereby moving said hook laterally of said string until the outer leg 18 of said bill clears the string. As is well-known, the wave 19 is imparted to the kite string by suddenly releasing slack therein.

If desired, the surliciaI area of the canopy may be increased by providing an annular, radial flange or lip 20 on the periphery of an inverted, conical canopy 21 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. A cylindrical boss or collar 22 depends from the apex of the canopy 21 for receiving a cylindrical rod or shaft 23, similar to the member 13, having the shank 1 5 of the hook embedded in and axially alined with its outer or lower end. This separate formation of the canopy, rod and hook, facilitates manufacture and packaging of the parachute as Well as permitting assembly by the manufacturer, distributor or user. As will be apparent, all or two of the elements may be integral.

As shown by the numeral 24 in FIG. 6, the inverted canopy may be semi-spherical or cup-shaped so as to enlarge its superficial area. A cylindrical rod or shaft 25, similar to the member 13, is made integral with and depends from the axis of the convex surface of the canopy 24 and has the shank 15 of the hook 14 embedded in and in axial alinement with the outer or lower end of the rod 25. Of course, the rod could be formed separately of the canopy for attachment thereto in the same manner as the rod 23 (FIG. 5). Also, the hook could be made integral with the rod 25 as Well as the other rods. A hook 26 is shown integral with a rod 27 in FIG. 7 and includes a U-shaped bill 28 having legs 29 and 30 which are similar to the bill 16 and its legs 17 and 18. Again, it is pointed out that the invention is not limited to the use of any particular material, although palstics are desirable due to being relatively inexpensive and of light-Weight. Since the parachute has a substantially rigid or at least semi-rigid canopy and is light in weight, any wind strong enough to ally a kite will cause said parachute to ascend the string of the kite. Due to the inverted shape of its canopy, the parachute will fioat downwardly when released from the kite string and will not rock, tumble or fall too rapidly. So long as the canopy is inverted, it may be of any desirable concavoconvex configuration.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A toy parachute adapted to ascend a kite string and including a substantially rigid canopy of substantially concave-convex shape, a substantially rigid member extending axially from the axis of the convex side of the canopy whereby said canopy is inverted relative to the member, and hook means extending from said member for detachably suspending the parachute from a kite string, the hook means being in angular relation to said member so as to be directed laterally of the kite string and disengaged therefrom when a Wave motion is imparted to the string.

2. A toy parachute as set forth in claim 1 wherein the canopy is conical in shape.

3. A toy parachute as set forth in claim 1 wherein the canopy is semi-spherical in shape.

4. A toy parachute as set forth in claim 1 wherein the canopy has a peripheral lip to increase the area of its surface.

5. A toy parachute as set forth in claim 1 wherein the hook means includes a U-shaped bill having a pair of substantially parallel legs extending at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the member, the legs of the bill being connected by a bight portion in substantial alinernent with said longitudinal axis so that the outer leg of said bill is directed outwardly away from said member.

6. A toy parachute adapted to ascend a kite string and be released therefrom including a substantially rigid canopy of substantially concave-convex shape, an elongate substantially rigid member extending in axial alinement from the axis of the convex exterior of the canopy, and a hook extending from the member for detachably suspending the parachute from 'a kite string, the hook being in angular relation to said member so as to be directed laterally of the kite string and disengaged therefrom when a Wave motion is imparted to the string.

7. A toy parachute as set forth in claim 6 wherein the book includes a U-shaped bill having a pair of substantially parallel legs extending at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the member, the legs of the bill being connected by a bight portion in substantial alinement with said longitudinal axis so that the outer leg of said bill is directed outwardly away from said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,349,833 Robinson May 30, 1944 2,936,545 Enterkin May 17, 1960 2,993,667 Cushman July 25, 1961 

1. A TOY PARACHUTE ADAPTED TO ASCEND A KITE STRING AND INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID CANOPY OF SUBSTANTIALLY CONCAVO-CONVEX SHAPE, A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID MEMBER EXTENDING AXIALLY FROM THE AXIS OF THE CONVEX SIDE OF THE CANOPY WHEREBY SAID CANOPY IS INVERTED RELATIVE TO THE MEMBER, AND HOOK MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID MEMBER FOR DETACHABLY SUSPENDING THE PARACHUTE FROM A KITE STRING, THE HOOK MEANS BEING IN ANGULAR RELATION TO SAID MEMBER SO AS TO BE DIRECTED LATERALLY OF THE KITE STRING AND DISENGAGED THEREFROM WHEN A WAVE MOTION IS IMPARTED TO THE STRING. 